Arriving at Sigiriya through one of the back roads you confront the equally imposing monolithic mass of Pidurangala. Comparable in height to nearby Sigiriya, its striking feature is the sloping western flank, devoid of growth and angled like the surface of a peaked, wedge-shaped lectern. Regrettably, most visitors to Sigiriya never get to see Pidurangala, an equally ancient site with a remarkable climb to its summit.

 
When Kasyapa built Sigiriya, the lower elevations of Pidurangala were reserved for the royal monastery. Today, Pidurangala is still a religious enclave. The main temple, Pidurangala Raja Maha Viharaya – from where the path to the top begins – is situated at the eastern base of the rock. The path is not always clearly marked or easily trekked. Don’t let the steps at the bottom lull you into thinking otherwise. The higher you climb, the rougher it gets. But it’s not a long ordeal; at a leisurely pace the climb should only take 30 minutes.
 

Back on Pidurangala, the cave on the right was resided in by monks long ago, who chose to be near the brick-and-plaster reclining 10th century Buddha that peers sublimely out at Sigiriya.
 
(Content Source : Travel Sri Lanka Magazine)
(Image Source   : brelief.org, skyscrapercity.com)